Indie Dev: Force Game Journos to Make Games
Dan Marshall reckons it provides critics "a more rounded experience" in reviewing.
The head of indie developer Zombie Cow Studios, Dan Marshall, has told Gamasutra that he feels all games journalists should be forced to make a computer game.
Developer of cult hits Ben There, Dan That and Time Gentlemen, Please!, Marshall spoke of his stint writing for publication PCZone whilst coding some of his first titles. "[I] wound up doing a 10-part series about what it's like to learn to code, and suddenly have to design gameplay elements, making sound effects, and balancing weapons and stuff... As a gamer, I always assumed that sort of thing was relatively simple, so it was a fairly harsh lesson."
Marshall was then offered to write reviews for the magazine, which given his coding experience allowed him to give "a more rounded experience" of playing titles. "It's really interesting [when you review games], because as a developer I think you're slightly more understanding of the process involved, but as a gamer you know whether or not you're having a good time.
"I think all games journalists should be forced to make a game somehow, see how they get on."
The Zombie Cow Studios developer also spoke of communicating with his co-developer over email and the benefits of brainstorming ideas using this method; as well as voicing his thoughts on adventure games needing a unique artistic direction.
Developer of cult hits Ben There, Dan That and Time Gentlemen, Please!, Marshall spoke of his stint writing for publication PCZone whilst coding some of his first titles. "[I] wound up doing a 10-part series about what it's like to learn to code, and suddenly have to design gameplay elements, making sound effects, and balancing weapons and stuff... As a gamer, I always assumed that sort of thing was relatively simple, so it was a fairly harsh lesson."
Marshall was then offered to write reviews for the magazine, which given his coding experience allowed him to give "a more rounded experience" of playing titles. "It's really interesting [when you review games], because as a developer I think you're slightly more understanding of the process involved, but as a gamer you know whether or not you're having a good time.
"I think all games journalists should be forced to make a game somehow, see how they get on."
The Zombie Cow Studios developer also spoke of communicating with his co-developer over email and the benefits of brainstorming ideas using this method; as well as voicing his thoughts on adventure games needing a unique artistic direction.
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Comments
realvictory 13 Oct 2009 12:13
1/2
I wouldn't say it's inherently better - most people who play games don't make them, do they?
I would say developing games actually skews your view, not necessarily broadens it; it's only "more rounded" if you're wanting a review by a developer.
What it does is make you more aware of your own opinions, because you're surrounded by your own games; at the same time, it slightly cuts you off from every other game. And it also forces you to take games more seriously, whether that's a good or bad thing.
But I still ultimately think that the value of a review is proportional to how similar the reviewer's opinion is to yours. Get your friends to review a game to seriously determine whether or not you want to buy it. In fact, play it yourself.
I would say developing games actually skews your view, not necessarily broadens it; it's only "more rounded" if you're wanting a review by a developer.
What it does is make you more aware of your own opinions, because you're surrounded by your own games; at the same time, it slightly cuts you off from every other game. And it also forces you to take games more seriously, whether that's a good or bad thing.
But I still ultimately think that the value of a review is proportional to how similar the reviewer's opinion is to yours. Get your friends to review a game to seriously determine whether or not you want to buy it. In fact, play it yourself.
realvictory 13 Oct 2009 12:15
2/2
Also, a lot of people who make games still need to realise that it's no different to any other art/work: no matter how hard you work, and no matter how much you care about it, it can still easily end up being a pile of sh*te game.